All mold can trigger allergic reactions in individuals, especially newborns, elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.  But some types can create long lasting illnesses like aspergillosis, a disease caused by exposure to aspergillus/penicillium, which is fungus growing in the lungs. The strain commonly referred to as black mold, stachybotrys chartarum, is also very dangerous and should be removed right away.

Black mold is the common name for species, stachybotrys chartarum. It can grow in houses and it’s very toxic to humans.  The mycotoxins, the toxic chemicals that are released by molds as a defense mechanism, can trigger many symptoms in humans including mental, neurological, respiratory, circulatory, vision, skin, immune system, reproductive, fatigue, muscle pain as other health effects.  Note:  Not all mold that is black in color is stachybotrys chartarum.

The right conditions for microbial growth must have been present in the recent past.  This includes the right temperature, humidity and/or relative humidity (RH), and moisture level.  After some period of time the mold become visible to the naked eye.  For example, for the most deadly black mold, stachybotrys chartarum, it takes 7-12 days for it to become visible to the naked eye.

The only way to know for sure if the mold in your house is dangerous is to have it professionally tested by a certified inspector.  The inspector can determine the type and the level of contamination in the home by measuring the mVOCs (microbial volatile organic compounds) in the air – the gaseous waste by-products released by actively growing fungi and bacteria.

Mold can grow best on all surfaces including porous, semi-porous and non-porous surfaces.

Which Groups are at Higher Risk for Mold-Related Reactions and Illnesses?
Newborns
Pregnant Women
Elderly
Immune-Compromised Individuals

Newborns have a lower body weight, faster respirations, increased metabolism and immature respiratory and immune systems.  If you have a newborn or infant in the home and suspect mold, call us right away.

The most common route of microbial exposure is inhalation.  That’s why a common response to exposure is coughing and other upper respiratory related symptoms.

Mold is always present in small amounts in our homes and businesses.  But in order to prevent dangerous microbial growth, keep surfaces and air cool enough and dry enough to prevent excessive growth.  Repair leaks right away and maintain  your climate control system properly.

You should take the appropriate steps to repair any plumbing leaks and to prevent freezing pipes in the winter.  This might include insulating them properly in your crawl space, flushing them before a freeze or allowing the water to drip during our rare freeze warnings. If you know that you have a leak, cracked pipe or burst pipe, you should have that repaired right away.  And lastly, always use the ventilation fan when taking hot steamy showers so that moisture doesn’t accumulate on the walls and prompt microbial growth.

If you’re going to be away for lengthy period of time, you should leave the air conditioning unit operating.  Keeping a house closed up for months is just an invitation to set off mold growth.  There can be wide swings in the indoor temperature and moisture levels during your absence.  You should also have someone check on the property periodically to ensure that there are no leaks and that the a/c unit is working and draining properly.  You’ll also want to inspect the property after any big storms to ensure that there isn’t any storm or roof damage.

It is impossible to know if bleach is the proper corrective action for your problem unless we can see and test the environment.  It will depend on the type of mold, the severity of the contamination on the building materials and the size of the area involved.  Call us today and we can do the necessary analysis to put your mind at ease.

Call Tallahassee Mold Pros, we’re a well respected mold remediation company in the Tallahassee area.  We have the resources to inspect, test and remediate if it is needed in your home.  Don’t try to remove it yourself as this can disturb and disperse the spores and actually might make the problem worse.  Don’t try to treat it yourself.  It’s impossible to tell with the naked eye the type of mold that you have.  Certified scientific mold testing is required to determine the type and the level of contamination.

If you suspect that you have mold in your home, you should have it tested by a professional mold inspector.  Only they have the skill, training and testing equipment to properly identify the type of mold and the levels of contamination that might exist in your home.  If it’s determined that significant levels of mold are present, we’ll recommend the appropriate treatment, Do It Yourself or professional.

Once the mold testing is complete and the problem is determined to be localized in one or two rooms, we can usually create a containment area and enclose the area that needs remediation.  We also establish a negative air pressure differential between the work area and the surrounding areas to prevent contaminants from leaving the work zone.  If the spores are present throughout the home or business we’ll make the appropriate recommendation at that time.

Most commercially available air purifiers only deodorize the air; they aren’t designed to remove the tiny mold spores that are commonly identified in a water damaged environment.  These spores can be as small as 2-20 microns (a micron is one millionth of a meter).

HEPA is High Efficiency Particulate Air.  It can remove 99.7% of all particles to 0.3 microns in diameter.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration is effective in removing airborne particles but any building materials that are contaminated with mold growth should be removed by an expert.  Proper containment of the molded materials and proper air filtration must be used to prevent spreading the spores to other areas of the house.  Using a regular vacuum can actually stir up the spores and spread them to other parts of your home or business.